1. Many things are
set forth by inspired Scripture as binding upon all who are anxious to
please God. But, for the present, I have only deemed it necessary
to speak by 128way of
brief reminder concerning the questions which have recently been
stirred among you, so far as I have learnt from the study of inspired
Scripture itself. I shall thus leave behind me detailed evidence,
easy of apprehension, for the information of industrious students, who
in their turn will be able to inform others. The Christian ought
to be so minded as becomes his heavenly calling,19181918cf.
Heb. iii. and his life and conversation ought to be
worthy of the Gospel of Christ.19191919cf.
Phil. i. 27. The
Christian ought not to be of doubtful mind,19201920cf.
Luke xii. 29.
nor by anything drawn away from the recollection of God and of His
purposes and judgments. The Christian ought in all things to
become superior to the righteousness existing under the law, and
neither swear nor lie.19211921cf.Matt. v. 20. He ought
not to speak evil;19221922Tit. iii. 2. to do
violence;192319231 Tim. ii.
13. to
fight;192419242 Tim. ii.
24. to avenge
himself;19251925Rom. xii. 19. to return evil
for evil;19261926Rom. xii. 17. to be
angry.19271927Matt. v. 22. The
Christian ought to be patient,19281928James v. 8. whatever he
have to suffer, and to convict the wrong-doer in season,19291929Tit. ii. 15. not with the desire of his own
vindication, but of his brother’s reformation,19301930Matt. xv. 18. according to the commandment of the
Lord. The Christian ought not to say anything behind his
brother’s back with the object of calumniating him, for this
is slander, even if what is said is true.19311931cf.
2 Cor. xii. 20 and 1 Peter ii. 1. He ought to turn away from the
brother who speaks evil against him;19321932cf.
1 Peter iii. 16, 17, and James iv. 11.
he ought not to indulge in jesting;19331933Eph. v. 4.
he ought not to laugh nor even to suffer laugh makers.19341934 This charge is
probably founded on Luke vi. 21 and 25, and James iv.
9. Yet our
Lord’s promise that they who hunger and weep “shall
laugh,” admits of fulfilment in the kingdom of God on
earth. Cheerfulness is a note of the Church, whose members,
“if sorrowful,” are yet “alway rejoicing.”
(2 Cor. vi.
10.) He must not talk idly, saying
things which are of no service to the hearers nor to such usage as
is necessary and permitted us by God;19351935Eph. v. 4.
so that workers may do their best as far as possible to work in
silence; and that good words be suggested to them by those who are
entrusted with the duty of carefully dispensing the word to the
building up of the faith, lest God’s Holy Spirit be
grieved. Any one who comes in ought not to be able, of his own
free will, to accost or speak to any of the brothers, before those
to whom the responsibility of general discipline is committed have
approved of it as pleasing to God, with a view to the common
good.19361936 It is less
easy to find explicit Scriptural sanction even for such a modified
rule of silence as is here given by St. Basil. St. Paul can
only be quoted for the “silence” of the woman. But
even St. Basil’s “silence” with a view to
preserving his cœnobium from vain conversation, is a long way
off the “silence” of St. Bruno’s
Carthusians. The
Christian ought not to be enslaved by wine;193719371 Pet. iv. 3.
nor to be eager for flesh meat,19381938Rom. xiv. 21. and as a
general rule ought not to be a lover of pleasure in eating or
drinking,193919392 Tim. iii.
4. “for every
man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all
things.”194019401 Cor. ix.
25. The
Christian ought to regard all the things that are given him for his
use, not as his to hold as his own or to lay up;19411941cf.
Acts iv. 32. and, giving careful heed to all things as
the Lord’s, not to overlook any of the things that are being
thrown aside and disregarded, should this be the case. No
Christian ought to think of himself as his own master, but each
should rather so think and act as though given by God to be slave to
his like minded brethren;19421942cf.1 Cor. ix.
19. but “every
man in his own order.”19431943cf.
1 Cor. xv.
23.

2. The Christian ought never to
murmur19441944cf.
1 Cor. x. 10. either in
scarcity of necessities, or in toil or labour, for the
responsibility in these matters lies with such as have authority
in them. There never ought to be any clamour, or any
behaviour or agitation by which anger is expressed,19451945cf.
Eph. iv. 31. or diversion of mind from the full
assurance of the presence of God.19461946cf.
Heb. iv. 13.

The voice should be modulated; no one ought to
answer another, or do anything, roughly or contemptuously,19471947cf.
Tit. iii. 2. but in all things moderation19481948Phil. iv. 5, τὸ
ἐπιεικές.
In 1 Tim. iii.
3,
“patient” is ἐπιεικής. and respect should be shewn to every
one.19491949Rom. xii. 10 and 1 Pet. ii. 17. No wily
glances of the eye are to be allowed, nor any behaviour or
gestures which grieve a brother and shew contempt.19501950Rom. xiv. 10. Any display in cloak or shoes is
to be avoided; it is idle ostentation.19511951Matt. vi. 29, Luke xii.
27. Cheap things ought to be used for
bodily necessity; and nothing ought to be spent beyond what is
necessary, or for mere extravagance; this is a misuse of our
property. The Christian ought not to seek for honour, or
claim precedence.19521952Mark ix. 37. Every
one ought to put all others before himself.19531953Phil. ii. 3. The Christian ought not to be
unruly.19541954Tit. i. 10. He who
is able to work ought not to eat the bread of idleness,195519552 Thess. iii.
10. but even he who is busied in deeds well
done for the glory of Christ ought to force himself to the active
discharge of such work as he can do.195619561 Thess. iv.
11. Every Christian, with the
approval of his superiors, ought so to do everything with reason
and assurance, even down to actual eating and drinking, as done to
the glory of God.195719571 Cor. x. 31. The
Christian ought not to change over from one work to another
without the approval of those who are appointed for the
129arrangement of such matters;
unless some unavoidable necessity suddenly summon any one to the
relief of the helpless. Every one ought to remain in his
appointed post, not to go beyond his own bounds and intrude into
what is not commanded him, unless the responsible authorities
judge any one to be in need of aid. No one ought to be found
going from one workshop to another. Nothing ought to be done
in rivalry or strife with any one.

3. The Christian ought not to grudge
another’s reputation, nor rejoice over any man’s
faults;195819581 Cor. xiii.
6. he ought in
Christ’s love to grieve and be afflicted at his brother’s
faults, and rejoice over his brother’s good deeds.195919591 Cor. xii.
26. He ought not to be indifferent or
silent before sinners.196019601 Tim. v. 20. He who shows
another to be wrong ought to do so with all tenderness,196119612 Tim. iv. 2. in the fear of God, and with the object of
converting the sinner.196219622 Tim. iv. 2. He who is
proved wrong or rebuked ought to take it willingly, recognizing his own
gain in being set right. When any one is being accused, it is not
right for another, before him or any one else, to contradict the
accuser; but if at any time the charge seems groundless to any one, he
ought privately to enter into discussion with the accuser, and either
produce, or acquire, conviction. Every one ought, as far as he is
able, to conciliate one who has ground of complaint against him.
No one ought to cherish a grudge against the sinner who repents, but
heartily to forgive him.196319632 Cor. ii. 7. He who says
that he has repented of a sin ought not only to be pricked with
compunction for his sin, but also to bring forth fruits worthy of
repentance.19641964Luke iii. 8. He who has
been corrected in first faults, and received pardon, if he sins again
prepares for himself a judgment of wrath worse than the
former.19651965Heb. x. 26,
27. He, who
after the first and second admonition19661966Tit. iii. 10.
abides in his fault, ought to be brought before the person in
authority,19671967τῷ
προεστῶτι. &
233· προεστὼς
is the “president” in Justin Martyr’s description
of the Christian service in Apol. Maj. i. if haply after
being rebuked by more he may be ashamed.19681968cf.
Tit. ii. 8. If even thus he fail to be set
right he is to be cut off from the rest as one that maketh to
offend, and regarded as a heathen and a publican,19691969Matt. xviii.
17. for the security of them that are
obedient, according to the saying, When the impious fall the
righteous tremble.19701970Prov. xxix.
16, LXX. He should
be grieved over as a limb cut from the body. The sun ought not
to go down upon a brother’s wrath,19711971Eph. iv. 26.
lest haply night come between brother and brother, and make the
charge stand in the day of judgment. A Christian ought not to
wait for an opportunity for his own amendment,19721972cf.Matt. xxiv. 14; Luke xii.
40. because there is no certainty about the
morrow; for many after many devices have not reached the
morrow. He ought not to be beguiled by over eating, whence
come dreams in the night. He ought not to be distracted by
immoderate toil, nor overstep the bounds of sufficiency, as the
apostle says, “Having food and raiment let us be therewith
content;”197319731 Tim. vi. 8. unnecessary
abundance gives appearance of covetousness, and covetousness is
condemned as idolatry.19741974Col. iii. 5. A
Christian ought not to be a lover of money,19751975cf.
Mark x. 23, 24; Luke xviii.
24.
nor lay up treasure for unprofitable ends. He who comes to God
ought to embrace poverty in all things, and to be riveted in the
fear of God, according to the words, “Rivet my flesh in thy
fear, for I am afraid of thy judgments.”19761976Ps. cxix.
120, LXX. The Lord grant that you may receive
what I have said with full conviction and shew forth fruits worthy
of the Spirit to the glory of God, by God’s good pleasure, and
the cooperation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1934 This charge is
probably founded on Luke vi. 21 and 25, and James iv.
9. Yet our
Lord’s promise that they who hunger and weep “shall
laugh,” admits of fulfilment in the kingdom of God on
earth. Cheerfulness is a note of the Church, whose members,
“if sorrowful,” are yet “alway rejoicing.”
(2 Cor. vi.
10.)

1936 It is less
easy to find explicit Scriptural sanction even for such a modified
rule of silence as is here given by St. Basil. St. Paul can
only be quoted for the “silence” of the woman. But
even St. Basil’s “silence” with a view to
preserving his cœnobium from vain conversation, is a long way
off the “silence” of St. Bruno’s
Carthusians.